Motor vehicles can be categorized in numerous ways. One is by the “work:leisure” intended function of the vehicle. In the case of a work function, the rims of one are more motive wheels are typically built for strength and have little, if any, aesthetic attributes.
On the other hand, however, wheels of a leisure vehicle are typically adorned with some sort of appealing structure to make them more attractive. In the case of some vehicles, decorative hubcaps or wheel covers are put into place proximate corresponding rims of the motive wheels. In the prior art, such hubcaps or wheel covers are typically able to rotate relatively freely. In fact, the rotation is intended to impart a pleasing effect.
In the case of some vehicles, however, the decorative structure tends to achieve its goal only if the rim or proximate structure rotates such that a display tends to be maintained generally in a desired orientation. Illustrative of such a structure is the WHEEL ASSEMBLY depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,369 issued on Aug. 9, 2005 to Tommie L. McCaster, III and Jason T. Clifford. That document teaches a wheel assembly structure for a vehicle which includes a rim for mounting a tire, and a hub which includes a central portion and a connecting portion radiating from the central portion to the rim of that device. A plurality of lug holes are provided in a central portion of the hub. Lug studs pass through the lug holes, and a rear side of the central portion is mounted against an axle hub of the vehicle. The inventors envisioned the mounting of a functioning clock to a front side of the connecting portion of the hub. The clock, in turn conceals the lug holes from view.
The assembly of the McCaster, III et al. document, however, does not maintain the functioning clock in a consistent, rigid orientation wherein the clock is always oriented with the “12” precisely at the top. The way the orientation of the face portion of the clock is substantially maintained in an intended orientation is by providing a bottom weight face portion.
A plurality of roller bearings at the perimeter of the face portion are also provided. This allows the face of the clock to rotate freely, but the bottom weighting tends to enable the face of the clock to be maintained in a desired orientation. Nevertheless, the face will typically swing like a pendulum, and it might well be that such swinging is not only undesired, but also detrimental to the device structure.
The present invention is a structure which addresses the problems and limitations of the prior art. It serves to offer a structure which will maintain a visual presentation in a desired orientation.